The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a method and device for displaying a two-dimensional image of a viewed object simultaneously with an image depicting a three-dimensional geometry of the viewed object using a video inspection device.
Video inspection devices, such as video endoscopes or borescopes, can be used to inspect a surface of an object to identify and analyze anomalies (e.g., pits or dents) on the object that may have resulted from, e.g., damage, wear, corrosion, or improper installation. In many instances, the surface of the object is inaccessible and cannot be viewed without the use of the video inspection device. For example, a video inspection device can be used to inspect the surface of a blade of a turbine engine on an aircraft or power generation unit to identify any anomalies that may have formed on the surface to determine if any repair or further maintenance is required. In order to make that assessment, it is often necessary to obtain highly accurate-dimensional measurements of the surface and the anomaly to verify that the anomaly does not exceed or fall outside an operational limit or required specification for that object.
A video inspection device can be used to obtain and display a two-dimensional image of the surface of a viewed object showing the anomaly to determine the dimensions of an anomaly on the surface. This two-dimensional image of the surface can be used to generate three-dimensional data of the surface that provides the three-dimensional coordinates (e.g., (x, y, z)) of a plurality of points on the surface, including proximate to an anomaly. In some video inspection devices, the user can operate the video inspection device in a measurement mode to enter a measurement screen in which the user places cursors on the two-dimensional image to determine geometric dimensions of the anomaly. In many instances, the contour of a viewed feature is difficult to assess from the two-dimensional image, making highly accurate placement of the cursors proximate to the anomaly difficult as it is difficult for the user to visualize the measurement being performed in three-dimensional space. This process may not always result in the desired geometric dimension or measurement of the anomaly being correctly determined and can be time consuming.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.